Market Trends

SureBeam Corporation, leading provider of electron beam food safety systems and services for the food industry, is debuting the nation's first SureBeam facility capable of processing food simultaneously with SureBeam electron beam and x-ray technology.

VNU Business Publications USA announced on Monday that it will merge its leading food retail publications, Supermarket Business and Progressive Grocer, in order to create the largest magazine serving the food retailing industry.

Acirca Inc., maker of Walnut Acres ready-to-eat organic soup, announced on Thursday it has acquired ShariAnn's Organics, the second largest ready-to-eat certified organic soup company in the United States.

Spartan Stores Inc. on Thursday reported financial results for its fiscal 2002 second quarter, which ended September 15, 2001. Sales increased 7.5 percent to $841.1 million from $782.3 million for fiscal 2001's 12-week second quarter.

McLane Company Inc., a Temple, Texas-based grocery and food distributor, and Marsh Supermarkets Inc, a leading regional grocery chain, announced on Friday the completion of McLane Company's acquisition of the assets of Convenience Store Distributing Company (CSDC), including the company's Richmond, Indiana distribution center.

Starbucks Coffee International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company, has signed a joint-venture agreement with two leading retail companies in Madrid and Barcelona to enter the Spanish market.

The Worldwide Retail Exchange (WWRE) on Thursday announced the commercial launch of the WWRE Collaborative Planner, version 2.0, to all 58 Exchange members and their trading partners.

QRS Corporation, provider of global sourcing and supply chain management solutions for the retail industry, on Friday announced the availability of a new service for the grocery industry.